The worst birthday - or is it?
by Liz Jean Tonks
Summary: Harry's 12th birthday - the worst, right? No, because Ginny shows up and the time has come to get rescued from Privet Drive.


This is part of the " **Happy Birthday, Harry Potter** "-challenge by "Keep calm and write something"  
My character: Ginny Weasley  
I went with Harry Potter's 12th birthday (remember, "the worst birthday", according to the chapter title)  
This is an alternate universe, in which Harry gets rescued earlier by the Weasleys and Ginny is with them, too. Ginny is less awkward in front of Harry, but rather cool.  
The text in italic letters are direct quotes from the books.  
Enjoy :D

* * *

 **The worst birthday – or is it?**

Harry frowned as uncle Vernon turned to him.

 _'I'll be in my bedroom,' he said, 'making no noice and pretending I'm not there.'_

 _'Too right you will,' said Uncle Vernon forcefully. 'And stay out of your aunt's way while she's cleaning.'_

Harry nodded, glad to leave. He was not eager for the evening; sitting in your bedroom, not being able to read in any of his books, or at least some old cards of his friends didn't sound like a very enjoyable way of spending your birthday.

The day was sunny, but why what help was the sun if you were condemned to stay inside the rest of the day?

If he had just received a single card, a single glimpse of hope that there was life outside from Privet Drive... It was not like he expected gifts or long letters... But at least a birthday greeting, in whatever way. Hermione and Ron had said they would be writing to him.

And Harry had believed them.

Were the Dursleys right, after all? Was indeed no one eager to be friends with him?

But everything they had been through last year, he had thought he had found a home.

Harry sat down on the grass and stared into the sky. If he was at Hogwarts right now, he would be playing quidditch, or visit Hagrid, or...

Hagrid. Hagrid hadn't written him, either. Last year he had prepared a cake for him, but this year, he hadn't even thought of sending a card? Maybe they hadn't liked the boy who lived, after all.

He closed his eyes, trying to think of something more enjoyable, but nothing came to his mind.

Then he heard a loud, clattering voice. He frowned and looked up into the sky.

Nothing. Harry sat down and stared on the ground. Desperate, that's what you could call him. Desperate for a sign of the wizarding world. Desperate for friends. Desperate for any kind of of company. Another sound, this time it sounded like a smash, made him flinch. Indistinctly he withdrew his wand and got up. He turned around for a few times, but couldn't see anything. He started wondering whether he was imagining things due to loneliness, whether he had gotten crazy or something, when he heard little whispers, seeming to be coming from behind a hedge.

'Watch out, the place is full of muggles!'

'Who won't see us if you just shut up!'

'Where is he now, where's-'

'Harry!' Harry whirled around to see if he had heard correctly, and indeed. Ron was struggling his way through the spiny hedge. He got stuck more than once, but nevertheless, he smiled at him. But his grin was nothing against Harry's. Curiously, he glanced at Ron and his brothers, who know crawled through the leaves behind him – Fred and George, and behind them, Ginny. Harry stared at them bewildered and happy at once.

'What are you doing here?,' he asked. His voice had at once changed to a whisper and he turned to the house to make sure no one would hear the loud noises out here, but it seemed all quiet.

'Rescuing you, of course,' said Ron, who now had reached Harry and gave him a quick hug. Fred and George grinned. 'Bit slow, aren't you?,' they said. 'Where is your trunk?'

'It's not ready, of course...,' Harry stuttered. 'And I can't pack everything now, with them around, and they have locked my things...'

'You'd better gotten it ready,' George said. Ron grinned.

'Seriously, mate, did you believe we'd leave you with them,' he nodded up to the house, 'all summer? Are you mad? Why didn't you write us?'

Harry frowned. 'I was going to,' he said frowning, 'but I couldn't use Hedwig because of the muggles, and after all... You weren't writing me, either ! You could have, couldn't you, you could have used your family's owl!'

Ron stared at him. 'But I did write you,' he said, 'and I thought Errol would have delivered them... Did he never show up?'

Harry shook his head. 'No!,' he said.

'Guys, we can talk about that later,' George interrupted, 'right now we should get going, shouldn't we?'

Harry turned to the twins. 'How did you get here in the first place?,' he asked.

Fred grinned. 'You'll see,' he said, 'soon enough. Now, Ginny, George and me, we'll distract the muggles and Harry and Ron can get your trunk, Harry – here, use this.' He handed Harry a tiny little needle.

'I'd rather be going with Harry,' Ginny interrupted, and looked up. Harry turned to her. Fred and George frowned.

'Well I don't care,' George said, 'as long as we hurry up a little bit, it's a long journey...'

Harry was eager to find out how exactly they were going to go on this journey, so he just nodded. 'Okay,' he said, 'how are you going to distract them, then?'

'Oh, don't worry about that,' Fred said, with a very satisfied grin on his face. 'The door bell's your sign that the coast is clear to get inside. Now get going, you two, Ron, you come with us.'

Harry frowned as they were of, wondering what their plan was. 'Don't use magic, please,' he called after them. 'I don't want to have you thrown out of Hogwarts because of me!' Neither Fred nor George nor Ron replied to this, but Harry had no longer time to think about what they were going to do. As quietly as he could, he and Ginny approached the walls. He heard the bell, and together, they got inside through the back door. He heard his aunt and uncle opening the front door and saying something.

'Come,' Ginny said, 'quick.'

Harry nodded. 'Where's your trunk?,' she asked quietly.

'In the cupboard under the stairs,' Harry whispered, and together, they approached it. To his confusion, his aunt and uncle had left the house by now, and seemed to be outside on the street, but he had no time to think about it. He pulled out the needle. 'There,' he said, 'you got an idea how to-'

'It's enchanted,' Ginny said, taking it from Harry. 'You see...' She put it on the key hole, turned it twice and with a little creak, the door let itself be pushed open. Ginny smiled. 'There you go,' she said. Harry stared at it. 'Brilliant,' he said, 'but how did they-'

'It was dad, really, not them,' Ginny explained. 'Come on, get your trunk.' Harry grabbed everything he could, and Ginny took the rest, and together they got up the stairs.

Harry took out his suitcase to throw everything inside. Ginny had stopped in the doorway and looked around. 'So this is where you live,' she said.

Harry got up and took the things she carried to stuff them into his case. 'Yeah,' he said.

She moved a little more inside. 'I hope you'll like it at our place,' she muttered.

Harry beamed at her. 'I can't wait to see it!,' he said happily. 'Really, I can't!'

'Well, it's not special,' Ginny mumbled, 'much smaller than this place, and, well, more crowded, you know...'

Harry shrugged. 'Size doesn't say anything, look at my uncle,' he said, and moved a bit closer to her. She smiled at him. 'I'm glad we came for you,' she said.

'Yeah,' he said, 'yeah, so am I. Very.'

She still smiled. 'Harry?'

'Hm?'

'Happy birthday.'

Harry looked up. She was the first one who had said those magical words, the first even before Ron, on this dreadful, happy day. He smiled.

'Thanks, Ginny.'


End file.
